Tag Archives: cheesecake

This cider house rules, bro!!!!

Now, I don’t always drink cider, unless it’s for breakfast. I mean, it has apples, so that counts as fruit juice, right? So we’re hanging out at Her Father’s Cider Bar, this funky little joint on Harbord, and they’ve got almost as many different kinds of cider as Miss Likklemore’s has rum. Plus, we happen to be here for brunch — so I guess I can wait until it’s actually five o’clock before cracking my first beer, bro…

This here Thai ginger cider from Kitchener Waterloo is more sweet than heat. It’s mostly apples, but you get a kick at the end from some Thai chilies and ginger. It’s not really spicy, though…

And because not every cider has to have apples, we’re chugging this funky peach and apricot cider from Steel Town. It’s a little more sweet and a little less tart — not that there’s anything wrong with that.

For brunch, we’re chowing down on some chorizo sausage hash, with hash browns, onion jam, carrot top pesto and a fried egg on top. Plus, I paid extra to add bacon — first rule of Flavourtown is always add bacon! And I gotta say, the bacon is what makes it. Otherwise, the onion jam overwhelms the chorizo, the pesto is only off in one corner and there’s way, way, way too much parsley here, bro…

Now, we don’t always have dessert with brunch, but when they’re serving up Turtles cheesecake, you can sign me up anytime of day, son! You’ve got a nice, creamy centre with a crunchy crust, some caramel drizzle and toasted almonds on top. You KNOW I love Turtles, bro!!!!!!!!!

Badass wild boar burger @ The Monk’s Kettle

Now, even though it’s in the name, we don’t eat burgers every day on Triple B. Just like Guy Fieri, if it’s funky, we’ll find it — there doesn’t have to be burgers or bacon involved. But that doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy a good burger, even more than the next guy. And at The Monk’s Kettle, this funky little pub in Etobicoke, they’ve got a whole buncha real-deal burgers, bro!!!!

Not only are they serving up seven different burgers and sammies on the menu, they’ve also got The Divine Burger, a special burger that changes on a regular basis. And when we stopped by last weekend, their Divine Burger was utterly redonkulous. We’re talking wild boar patty, topped with brie and prosciutto. Shut the front, back and side doors!!!!!!!!

This burger is soooooo outta bounds, bro! You’ve got a nice, gamey chew from the boar, a little ooze factor from the brie, and the prosciutto adds a little kiss at the end. Plus there’s this spicy donkey sauce gushing out all over the place. I’d put that on a flip-flop!!!!!!!!!

And because you can never have too much prosciutto, we’re also slamming down an order of Saltimbocca Jalapeno Poppers, filled with white cheddar and wrapped in more prosciutto. I was expecting these bad boys to be battered and fried, but even without the crunchy coating, they are still pretty crispy — and surprisingly not spicy, since they removed all the seeds. If you put a couple of these on top of a burger, that would really take it to the next level, bro!!!!!!!!!

Now, this place might have some badass burgers, but they’re really known for their beers. They’ve got all kinds of craft beer from a buncha local breweries, including a few brews I’ve never seen before — like this Great Lakes white eggnog stout. Turns out they only had one left in the fridge, so it mighta been a shelf turd… but it was still pretty nice ‘n creamy.

Dude, Blood Brothers is one of my favourite local breweries, bro. I mean, they could make a mango beer, and I’d still drink it! Actually, that’s what I just did. This Paradise Lost Sweet Mango Heat, which they’ve got on tap, is heavy on the mangos, but not really spicy — at least not when you drink it with some jalapeno poppers. And at 6%, this ain’t no IC Light Mango, bro!!!!

But now we’re kicking up another half a notch with this Lone Tree IPA from Third Moon Brewing in Milton. I have never even heard of this brewery before, bro! But this is a nice hazy boy, coming in strong at an evil 6.6%. I would drink this any day… but maybe not all day.

But even after all those burgers, prosciutto and beer back there, I’ve still got room for dessert. This Marble Chocolate Cheesecake is nice ‘n crunchy with a side of sour cherries and a whole lotta chocolate sauce going on. Can’t complain about that at all!!!

And since the name of this blog ain’t Burgers, Bacon and Irish Coffee, we’re washing dessert down with a Peche Mortel imperial coffee stout, a collab between Godspeed and Dieu du Ciel. This is a really strong beer at 9.5%, but it really just tastes like coffee — don’t think I’d drink it for breakfast, bro…

Korean triple meat platter for one @ KOKO! Share Bar

Now, we’re not big on sharing here on Triple B. Dude, if I’m sharing food, it means that someone else is going hungry — cuz Imma eat most of it, bro! So when I heard about KOKO! Share Bar, this Japanese/Korean joint bringing some underground funk to Yorkville, I was like, yeah, I’ll check it out — as long as I don’t hafta share. 😉

Actually, you don’t really need to share most of the stuff on their menu. You could just order your own appetizer, main course, sushi, sashimi, etc. But they do have a couple Signature Share Platters that were meant to serve two…but are more like a nice, light snack in Flavourtown!!!!

So, I went with their Bossam platter, which is giving me a little BPC — that’s beef, pork and chicken, son, along with rice and lettuce (I can’t call them lettuce wraps when only two out of seven pieces of lettuce were big enough to wrap the meat in). And man, this bulgogi beef was the star of the show. Super-tender, with a nice chew… I could eat a triple meat platter of just bulgogi, bro!!!!

Now, if bulgogi’s number one, then this spicy chicken is number two with a bullet, bro. It’s got a nice little kick, enough to let you know it’s there, but doesn’t melt your face off. And it definitely works better with rice than lettuce…

That means I would hafta put the sauteed pork in third place on this platter. It’s not that it was bad, just didn’t have a ton of flavour. Adding some ssamjang sauce helps a bit, though.

Like I said, this was just another dinner for one in Flavourtown. All that was left behind was some green stuff, and maybe a couple onions. And dude, I’m not even full yet — you KNOW I’ve still got room for dessert, bro!!!!!!

Now, at KOKO, dessert is either green tea cheesecake or mochi ice cream, and if I had known how small this piece of cheesecake was, I mighta asked for both. You do get a few nice, creamy bites, though, and the green tea isn’t overpowering. But if this is one serving of cheesecake, then I could easily mow down a triple cheesecake platter, bro!!!!!!!!!!!

BIG APPLE BITES: Funkalicious southern brunch @ Peachy Keen

Before heading off to a Broadway matinee, we’re heading into Peachy Keen, this funky joint on W 44th where the vibe is cartoon retro, like Austin Powers meets Scooby Doo, with Soul Train videos and modern dance music… and the menu is serving up southern soul food with a twist, son!!!

What we’ve got here is some pork belly and grits, with fried eggs and red eye gravy. Grits are nice n chewy, with a bit of cheddar cheese, pork is fatty and unctuous, and then you’ve got some of that runny egg action — shut the back door!!!

But you KNOW I couldn’t just eat one thing, bro! So I also got a FGT — fried green tomatoes, potato salad and bacon sando on tomato ciabatta bread! I have never seen potato salad inside a sandwich before, and it kinda steals the show. Bacon is super crispy, which I like, but the tomatoes get a little lost here. When you get a bit of that tangy crunch though, that right there is the ticket!!!

Washed it all down with a Mango Beermosa. Instead of orange juice, it’s got beer and Prosecco for double the fun, bro! You can definitely taste the bubbly, while the mango beer is quite fruity, but less citrusy than OJ — which is not a bad thing. A couple of these will get a nice buzz going…

Still had a bit of time to kill before the show, so I headed down to Junior’s for a slice of their legendary cheesecake. I went with the Brownie Explosion which was creamy, chocolatey, rich and decadent. This is everything a cheesecake should be, bro!!!!

Michelin star steak @ Alobar

Now, Michelin finally started handing out Michelin stars in Toronto this year. A buncha fancy sushi places that we would never go to made the list, along with one place we went to that definitely deserved it, and another place that was a bit of a surprise. Now, I don’t always know what these elite food critics are thinking, but when I saw they gave a star to Alobar, the more casual cousin of Alo, which is probably the fanciest restaurant in town (I’ve never been there), well, I figured it was worth checking out…

The menu here is all over the map, with raw seafood, pasta, fish and short rib. But I figured I’d go for some steakhouse classics — I mean, Michelin star steak has gotta be good, right?

We actually started off with a wedge salad. I know what you’re thinking — what the French fry, bro??? But this might be the most manliest salad ever, with big chunks of bacon and hunks of blue cheese, along with tomatoes and purple onions. This also could be the biggest salad I’ve ever had…but you KNOW we’re just getting started, bro!!!!

Up next we’ve got a 24 ounce, bone-in ribeye, cooked to a nice medium rare, with a side of fries. Now the meat itself was very nicely done, one of the top five steaks I’ve had this year, but those portobello mushrooms they put on top really kick it up a notch. Dude, this shrooms are super-tender, nice and juicy… You could make flip-flops out of these bad boys, wear them to the beach, step in seagull shit — and they would still taste good!!!!

But after completely cleaning my plate, you KNOW I’ve still got room for dessert, right? And they definitely don’t shortchange ya on this sour cherry cheesecake!

Cake was pretty creamy, and that cherry compote kicks it up a notch. They make you spoon it on yourself, so I made sure to get every last loving spoonful, son!!!!

Now, I know what you’re thinking, is this food Michelin Star quality? Well, four outta five Triple B Maniacs disagree. The steak was good and the salad was fine, but if that place gets a Michelin star, then Prime Seafood Palace should have two stars, at least. I’m not sure they would even have been recognized if they didn’t have Alo in the name…but whether they’re justified (and ancient) or not, if you’re looking for a Michelin star place that’s not sushi or a tasting menu, this might be a good place to go.

One thing to note for beer drinkers, though — literally the only beer they have here is Asahi, and they serve it in bottles. Not quite as bad as the Greek place that only had Heineken (and they were all outta Heineken)… but honestly, it’s pretty close. You might hafta pregame in the alleyway, bro!!!!!!

Fried chicken and mushrooms and shrimp… Omai!!!

We’re no strangers to izakayas here on Triple B, and you can find these funky little Japanese joints all over this city! So, we’re hanging out at Omai, this cozy little spot in Baldwin Village, with just a handful of tables and a sushi counter. And while they do serve sushi here, you KNOW I’m heading straight for the fried section of the menu, bro!!!

We’re starting off with some butternut squash croquettes, coming in hot from the fryer. Now, I’ve had a few croquettes in my time, but these might be the first ones that were stuffed with veggies, son! They also add in some Oka cheese, which makes ‘er nice ‘n creamy…

Man, I don’t think I’ve had fried shrimp since that one time, at Red Lobster… But there’s nothing wrong with these Panko Fried Shrimp, with a chive donkey sauce and some pickled radishes on the side. I could all-you-can-eat these any day, bro!!!

Dude, I’m totally trippin’ over these fried oyster mushrooms, son! Warm and delicious, with a shrimp-flavoured donkey sauce — I’d put that on a flip-flop!!!!

But now it’s time for the main event: Japanese style chicken karaage, served at face-melting temperatures, with some gochujang and more donkey sauce on the side — dude, this is body by donkey sauce! I actually had to wait a bit for the chicken to cool down, but the wait was well worth it!!!

Of course, nothing goes better with Japanese bar food than beer from Godspeed, our local Japanese-inspired craft brewery. This Yuzu Citrus Saison actually tastes more like a wheat beer than a sour, and is super-crushable at a shade over 4%. I definitely pounded more than one of these!!!!

But even after all that deep-fried deliciousness, you KNOW we’ve still got room for dessert, bro! The one dessert on the menu at Omai is a Basque Cheesecake, topped with pears, and infused with matcha. Not what I would expect to find at an izakaya…but it was still pretty tasty!

WINTERLICIOUS 2020: Veal chop ‘n mussels @ Cafe La Gaffe

Now, when it comes to Winterlicious, some places don’t give you too many options to choose from. Usually, you get to pick from 3-4 different dishes for each course. But at Cafe La Gaffe, this funky little joint in Baldwin Village, their Licious menu has 6 different appys, 12(!) mains and four different options for dessert. With so many possibilities, it’s hard to narrow it down…but just about everybody went with the PEI mussels to start:

Dude, these mussels from Charlottussels were off the hussels! Nicely steamed in a tomato and chili pepper broth, with a few onions and peppers, and a couple pieces of bread to soak up the sauce. Man, you could put this broth on a flip-flop, and it would still taste good!!!!

Now, it’s time for the main event! You’ve got a 12 oz, bone-in veal chop with a whole smorgasbord of veggies — mashed potatoes, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower and beets! Man, I didn’t eat this many vegetables the last time I went to a vegan restaurant! But at least there is plenty of meat to go around, too…

For dessert, I tried their lavaless lava cake (where’s the ooze, bro?) and had a bite of the creme brulee, but the go-to dessert has gotta be the raspberry cheesecake. Nice and creamy with a crunchy cracker crust, and just enough raspberry sauce on top — I could finish at least three of these!!!!

SUMMERLICIOUS 2019: East Coast meets Far East @ Aviv

So, we’re hanging out at Aviv, this funky little joint on Dupont, right next to the Psycho Therapy Training Centre. Gimme gimme shock treatment, bro!!! Now, this place mixes Italian with Middle Eastern, with some crazy dishes that will blow your mind…like these PEI mussels with kimchi, gochujang and Chinese sausage:

OK, now let’s break it down. The mussels are nicely steamed, you’ve got a bit of kick from the jalapeno, a little funk from the sausage, some crunchy bean sprouts…but what makes it is the kimchi. That’s some killer kimchi, dude!!!

Now, for the main event, we’ve got some tender pork tenderloin swimming in a mango-lime sauce, with sweet potatoes, collard greens and french fries. OK, so the fries aren’t normally part of this dish, but this is body by french fried potaters, bro!!!

Sadly, their desserts were so small that I had to eat two of them. The lemon cheesecake was pretty tasty, but as for the flourless chocolate cake…let’s just say it needs flour!!!

I washed this all down with a Moroccan Brown Ale from Spearhead Brewing, which they’ve got on tap. Just look at that creamy head — mmm, creamy head…

So many cheesecakes, such little time…

So, we’re hanging out at The Cheesecake Factory, the first one to open in Canada, up at Yorkdale Mall. I’ve heard of lineups up the ying-yang for this place, but if you get there right when they open, at 10 am on a weekend, you can be seated around 11:15 and finished eating by 12:45. That’s assuming, of course, you save room for dessert. And who goes to The Cheesecake Factory and DOESN’T save room for dessert!? That’s such a weak move, bro!!!!

The menu at this place is the size of a Guy Fieri cookbook, and it definitely takes a while to flip through it. But one of the first things I spotted was these Nashville hot chicken nuggets. They’re not quite the same as eating hot chicken in Nashville, but it’s a nice snack to tide you over when you’ve skipped breakfast to get there early!

Unfortunately, all the cheese from my stuffed cheddar burger leaked out onto the plate before I could take a bite. I had to scrape it up with my knife to give you this ooey, gooey money shot right here…and that meant I didn’t get cheese in every bite. Still, it’s not as painful as having hot cheese squirt out onto your arm, lemme tell ya!

And now, for the moment you’ve all been waiting for…

Man, it was hard to pick a favourite among so many great cakes. But when the server told me that Chris’ Outrageous Cheesecake tastes like a Nanaimo bar, I knew that was so outta bounds that I had to shut the back door and buy a ticket! What you’ve got here is a chocolate chip coconut cheesecake, with layers of chocolate cake, brownie, coconut pecan frosting and a side of whipped cream. So you’re basically getting three desserts in one. This cake was super rich and decadent…but you KNOW I licked the plate clean, bro!!!!!

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Tag Archives: cheesecake

This cider house rules, bro!!!!

Badass wild boar burger @ The Monk’s Kettle

BIG APPLE BITES: Funkalicious southern brunch @ Peachy Keen

Michelin star steak @ Alobar

Fried chicken and mushrooms and shrimp… Omai!!!

WINTERLICIOUS 2020: Veal chop ‘n mussels @ Cafe La Gaffe

SUMMERLICIOUS 2019: East Coast meets Far East @ Aviv

So many cheesecakes, such little time…

And now, for the moment you’ve all been waiting for…

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